Presidents, prime ministers and cardinals gather for funeral of Pope Francis
Presidents, prime ministers and cardinals have gathered for the funeral of Pope Francis as huge crowds descended upon Vatican City.
The Catholic faithful are bidding a final farewell to a religious leader dubbed the “people’s pope”, whose death sparked tributes from across the globe.
The 88-year-old, who died on Easter Monday, has been hailed for his leadership of the Church, proving popular among young people and known for his outreach to those most in need in society.
US President Donald Trump has joined UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and a host of other world leaders and dignitaries for the open-air funeral mass in St Peter’s Square.
Mr Trump and his wife, first lady Melania, arrived at St Peter’s Square and the couple stopped in front of the Pope’s coffin to pay their respects.
Sir Keir also paid his respects in front of Pope Francis’s coffin.
The Prime Minister joined the Prince of Wales in the Vatican.
Crowds had gathered in the nearby streets before 5am, with nuns, priests and lay people alike making their way towards St Peter’s Square.
A tight security presence saw roads in the vicinity closed as Italian police managed the huge numbers keen to get as close as they could to the square.
Some 250,000 mourners paid their respects to Pope Francis over a three-day lying-in-state, which ran overnight from Wednesday due to high demand.
The final mourners had a chance to see the Pope close up in the grand surrounds of St Peter’s Basilica, before the coffin was closed in private on Friday evening.
A seating order published on the eve of the funeral showed Francis’s birth country of Argentina, then Italy, take precedence of position near the altar.
Thereafter, leaders are seated “in alphabetical order” in French – considered the language of diplomacy.
Ireland’s delegation comes ahead of both the Prince of Wales and the British Government delegation in the official order of precedence, because it is led by head of state President Michael D Higgins.
Haakon, the Crown Prince of Norway, and William follow soon after in a category set aside for crown princes.
The British Government delegation includes Sir Keir and his wife Victoria, as well as Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
President Trump and his wife First Lady Melania are seated ahead of both the Irish and British delegations.
Following the open-air funeral in the square, Francis’s remains will be taken through the streets of Rome in another break with tradition, as his body is brought to a simple underground tomb in the basilica of Saint Mary Major, as per his instructions.
During the journey, crowds will have their chance to catch a glimpse of a pontiff who proved popular with many during his 12-year papacy.
The Vatican said a group of “poor and needy” people will be present on the steps leading to the basilica to pay their last respects before the interment of the coffin, in a nod to Francis’s particular care for the downtrodden.
While Saturday is the first of nine official days of mourning, speculation regarding the next pope is likely to begin soon after the funeral.
Conclave, the secret meeting of cardinals to elect Francis’s successor, is thought likely to begin on May 5.
One Vatican expert said she thinks it is “totally unpredictable” at this point as to who the next pope might be.
UK theologian Professor Anna Rowlands said: “That’s partly because the process is genuinely both secret, so it happens in private, but also because the make-up of this College of Cardinals is very different from anyone that’s been here to elect a pope before.
“It’s going to be, I think, a surprise conclave, that is totally unpredictable at this point, but I think will produce, potentially, a really interesting candidate who possibly none of us will know.”
Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell – the camerlengo or senior Vatican official – has been responsible for carrying out the administrative and financial duties of the Holy See until a new pope takes over.
He had the role of announcing the Pope’s death on Easter Monday, co-ordinating meetings with the cardinals ahead of conclave and ensuring the Sistine Chapel is ready to accommodate them when that process begins in the coming weeks.
The sign of a new pope having been elected will be the emergence of white smoke from a chimney of the Sistine Chapel while, soon after, an announcement in Latin of “Habemus Papam” – meaning “we have a pope” – is made alongside the chosen pontiff’s appearance on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
By Aine Fox, PA Social Affairs Correspondent, in Vatican City